You see the things they never see
by Kibbit
Summary: (first, I realize that I spelled Doppler's name 'Dilbert' for a little ways into the story) Baically the movie re-written with an addintional character and few different scenes. She takes part as a friend of Jim's.
1. Chapter 1 A misplaced pawn

Disclaimer: I do not take any credit for any of the characters made by Disney. Such as Jim Hawkins, John Silver, Amelia, Mr. Arrow, Dr. Doppler, Sarah Hawkins, Morph, or any other recognized term or name that I have forgotten. I do not own them and they all belong to Disney. Along with the whole idea of Treasure Planet – that belongs to Disney too. I do not claim it as my own. My owns: The only things that I own in this fanfic is Kio. She belongs to me and me alone.  
  
The evening was warm and dry. It was boring and dull. There was nothing happening in Montresser – or at least nothing notable. But as to kill off said boredom and stillness in the particular summer evening, there was an opportunity of mild pleasure – Solar Surfing.  
Breaking through the clouds high above Jim Hawkins rode upon his own custom built solar surf board. He soared high beyond the grounds of Montresser of his own free will. High enough now that he cast down the sail of his board and let himself freely drop from the sky – soon his mere freefall turned to vast amounts of amazing spins in the air and flips, still continuing the fall that could take one's life if they were not quick enough to react. Jim was falling closer and closer to the canyon's terrain below, merely feet above it – when he set loose the sail and clenched onto it, sending himself away from the ground once more. He called out in excitement – no words in particular – and tested his surfing abilities to the construction yard.  
Jim crashed through a brittle warning post and continued surfing beyond restriction. There was obviously more pleasure in going where one is not granted permission to be to show off – to no one exactly, but for the fun of it – than just flying in an out of canyons. It was getting slightly less exciting to just explore the construction yard doing a few simply tricks or dodging objects here and there, and Jim was beginning to tire – until he saw the opportunity to obtain satisfaction in a daredevil's sport: The turning mill. A large stone wheel with only small openings on its side, where occasionally the holes would fill with the other half of the turning mill. Jim smirked; he knew he could take that stunt.  
He cast down the sail once more and leaned inwards. "Come on!" he challenged and readied himself to fly through the construction. The spinning half was about ready to fill the opening Jim was aiming at, when he soared through and slightly skidded across the base of the opening and the closing half. He grabbed the side of his board and aimed for a short trick just as he flew out of the opening, right before it closed in on him. He cheered for himself once more as he glided through the air and sent the sail out again. He felt on top of the world – until the sirens reared behind him.  
  
Mrs. Hawkins was busily waiting on impatient customers at the old Benbow – a great opportunity for much cash due to the large amount of creatures residing there, however a bit unfortunate to have to wait tables on her own. Where was Jim anyways? She could really use his help right about now...  
  
"Mrs. Hawkins," a loud and precise voice interrupted the mix of lower voices taking part of the noise filling the Inn. Two robotic policemen stood at the door (which was roughly swung open. Probably not too good for the well being of the particular door at all...) each on the other side of Jim with a hand placed on his shoulder to keep him from getting away, although he probably wasn't going to try anyways.  
"Jim!" Sarah gasped with a mixture of surprise and anger. Jim lowered his head a little ways in shame.  
"We have found your son operating a vehicle in a restricted area," One of them explained. "We have confiscated the boy's vehicle." Dr. Doppler stood up and coughed as for them to note his existence.  
"Excuse me sirs, if you will. I am Dr. Delbert Doppler, the physicist, perhaps you've heard of me?...No? Um, I have a clipping," Delbert turned to dig in the pockets of his shirt.  
"Are you the boy's father?" One of the robots demanded to know. Both he and Sarah were very enthusiastic on the impossibility that Delbert would have that title.  
"Back off sir!" both of the robotic policemen demanded. Delbert was slightly startled, then coughed to hold some remaining dignity. He turned to Sarah.  
"Ok then, ahem don't ever let me do that again," and slipped away to his table. Sarah couldn't help but smile at the humor that her friend displayed. The police began again.  
"Any more slip ups will result in a one-way ticket to Juvenile Hall," one said and pushed Jim to his mother.  
"Don't worry – it won't," Sarah said. The cops commented on something about bad choices equaling losers, basically forcing Jim to turn and scowl at them both.  
"Take care now," one automatically raised his hat. "Let's motor." They both left and just about the slammed the door. Everyone at the Inn was left staring at Sarah and Jim, speechless, until they were noticed and immediately continued their meals, but slowly.  
"Jim, do you want to go to Juvenile Hall, is that it?" Sarah asked him, both concerned and angry at the boy. Jim turned away to help clean up dishes.  
"Mom, there was no around," he mentioned with confidence, turning back to his mother. "Those cops just won't get off my –"he stopped talking under the harsh glare of Sarah. Jim sighed and went to clean the dishes he had gathered.  
"Jim, I don't want to see you throw away your entire future," she pleaded as Jim went into the kitchen.  
"What future..?" he mumbled – his words inaudible to Sarah.  
  
Rain had finally doused the warm evening upon the Benbow – equally filling up the Inn once more for rooms. They were opened slightly later than normal – possibly for the customers. However one had obviously not taken her opportunity for a nice warm bed under the slowly darkening sky and had just awoken to the beat of rain upon her pale – slightly silky furred face. Though the rain was soft, the half human, half felinid would still awake to it. Slowly the girl stood up – though it was very hard as considering how dizzy she was and how much weight was pressing against her torn clothes – a large heavy trench coat. Yes, that must have been the weight of the trench coat that was so heavy against her back. She staggered to the side a bit – reaching out for a surface to lean against, and was in luck that she had fallen against a wall of the Benbow Inn. She must have been sleeping a while, as her 'dirty blonde' hair looked darker as it was soaked, and the trench coat was very drenched itself – which also must have added a few pounds to its fabric. The slight, very most thin coating of white fur about her body, and the thicker coating of white fur that took place on the large feline-like ears of hers that rested almost exactly atop her head was also very damp. Even the water was running into two – obviously fresh – scars that resided under her right eye – the first long and thin, the second slightly wider and shorter, making them both bleed. One thing intrigued the girl though – why? Also, what? What was that wet substance cascading down to... down to... wherever she was? Whatever it was, the girl's curious nature took over and she spun wildly into it. She stretched out her arms and pointed her face to the sky, smiling slightly as the rain hit her again and again. She even giggled slightly, and began to spin slowly once more, soaking up the short remainder of joy. It felt so good to be out in the warmth of night and refreshing drizzle. It almost made her forget that she had no clue where she was, who she was, or why she was even there. There was not an even fair clue as anything. She had no idea what her name was, her background history, or old she was. A regular person could judge her to be between thirteen and fifteen, but she hadn't met anyone yet. As far as she concerned, she was alone.  
The girl looked up suddenly as she heard what seemed to be a malfunctioning engine, and just she did so as a smoking and flaring ship flew out from the clouds and landed on the dock of the Benbow. A few seconds later she noted the arrival of a boy running over to the ship. She was wrong – she was not alone. In curiosity the girl ran to assist – but stopped from the fear of being attacked. She did not have any reference to those who inhabited this strange land, so being cautious was vital to her survival. The girl ducked behind a few crates, gripping them tightly as she studied the boy's rescue mission.  
  
"Hey mister! Mister, you're okay in there, right?" Jim banged on the glass door leading into the malfunctioning ship. He looked deeper into the red-hued smoke to see who was in there and suddenly a large amphibian hand hit against the glass door and it swung open. Jim jumped back in startle. An old salamander rolled from the doorway coughing.  
"Can't ye hear 'im?!" the salamander-like species grabbed Jim's pitch black loose shirt collar. "Those evil gears and giros clicken' an' whirlin' like the devil 'imself!?" he let go of Jim's shirt to fetch something from in front of his ship.  
"Uh, you hit your head pretty hard there, didn't you?" Jim asked, a bit concerned. The salamander grabbed a 'treasure' chest and gripped onto it tightly.  
"He wants it – but he'll hafta pry from ole Billy Bones' cold dead claws, a'fore I –"the following was a few huge coughs sending the salamander to the ground. The girl whom was hiding behind the crates decided that the boy wasn't ready to attack anyone if he hadn't battled with the creature from the dysfunctional ship – and instead tried to help him. She gathered her courage and cautiously went to aid them both. She may not have had her memories – but she knew kindness and other sorts. Possibly it was instinctive to her species. She ran over to Jim, who was now helping the creature walk towards the Benbow, dove to Bones' other side and helped him up as well.  
"Is he hurt?" she asked, turning to Jim, who hadn't noticed her at first. It was surprising; he hadn't seen her around lately at all – considering that he was sitting on the Inn's roof listening in on his mother's conversation with Doppler. Although he was slightly startled by this weird girl's sudden appearance, he didn't show it.  
"Yeah, bad. Help me get him to the Benbow," he said and went on. The girl nodded and kept quiet as they continued up to the Inn.  
  
Sarah and Doppler remained at the Inn, reminiscing of old times past when Jim was just a child.  
"Some days I wish that he would open the door, being a smiling, happy little boy, holding a new pet and begging me to let him keep it," Mrs. Hawkins smiled to herself, reliving her happiness whilst she could. Doppler stood and opened the door, preparing to leave, but instead was greeted with Jim and the girl holding up the creature. Sarah gasped.  
"James Pleiades Hawkins!" she began.  
"Mom he's hurt! Bad!" Jim stalled her from yelling anymore as the salamander rolled onto the ground. The girl back away in slight confusion and fear.  
"Me chest, lad," Billy Bones' reached for the box and Jim slid it to him. The creature clicked a few symbols and a latch came undone. He grabbed a sphere-shaped object from the chest and held tightly to it.  
"He be comin' soon," Bones mumbled to himself.  
"Who's coming?" Jim asked, and was pulled down by Bones' again by his shirt. The salamander hissed his last words to Jim.  
"The cyborg... Beware the cyborg..." and with that the creature fell to the floor and died. Jim happened to grab the sphere right before the pirates came.  
"We gotta get outta here!" Jim said and helped his mother up the stairs so they would escape faster. The girl was waiting for Doppler when a shot fired through the window and nearly hit them both.  
"I believe I'm with Jim on this one!" Doppler exclaimed and chased them up the stairs and the girl followed franticly. Jim pushed them through the window and jumped through as well. The Benbow was no more.  
  
The warmth of the fire inside Dilbert's house was a comforting warmth and ease of what had just happened. Still soaking wet and even under the weight of the soggy trench coat, the odd girl was standing in a corner near the door, dripping on the floor. She was feeling rather unwanted and slightly frightened. However, she was somewhat in shock – as the events she had witnessed and the startle of being pushed out the window, were her first reflections of her new life. The old was gone. It was impossible to remember. So she decided this new world was unsafe and to be feared. She took a step back and looked around nervously. Since she was recently in the rain again, which was worse now, her recent scars had begun to bleed more vigorously then the last time, and the blood was slowly running down her face and staining the gray-ish trench coat. It wasn't too long before she was noticed.  
"Are you alright, miss..?" Doppler came over to her with a handkerchief to wipe away the blood slowly streaming down her face. As it was brushed over and collected the spilled blood on her face the girl was shaking with fear. She was even feeling more dizzy than when she had first woken from sleeping on the ground near the Benbow.  
"I'm okay," she lied. Even her voice was trembling.  
"What is your name?" Dilbert asked, backing up a bit.  
"I don't know. I can't remember anything," she spoke a little louder than before. She was getting rather upset by now, her eyes were clouding over and she wiped her eyes with the left sleeve of the trench coat. Dilbert was a little confused as to what to do for the poor thing.  
"It'll be alright," he said and helped her out of the sopping wet coat. Her clothes consisted of a black shirt and checkered jeans. They weren't that wet as the coat had covered almost all of her body. She went to go sit by the fire and tried to dry off. She listened in on Dilbert and Sarah's conversation over the odd little sphere and noticed Jim walking over to pick it up. It looked like he was trying to unlock it and having great luck. She grew very interested in watching and then it opened in an array of green lights. The girl blinked and stood up slowly, so she wouldn't tip over. Maybe it was blood loss (she noticed her clothes were quite bloody as well) or maybe she was sleep deprived, but she knew she wouldn't be able to stand for much longer. Feeling incredibly dizzy and weak, she leaned against a wall and struggled to keep her eyes open. Slowly, she took the chance and staggered over to where they were standing and watching the green in the room twirl and lead them on a journey to where it stopped – Treasure Planet.  
There was a loud enough thud as the girl collapsed onto the ground just as the map was shutting off.  
  
It was about two hours when she awoke – still slightly dizzy, but it wasn't bad. She still felt really weak, and for the first time in a while she was starving. Maybe that was the cause of her weakness. She scanned the room she was now resting in. She found herself sitting in a chair by the fire – which was now dead except for a few lowly red coals. That was the only light, besides moonlight, source in the darkened room. Everyone seemed to be sleeping, as she could hear breathing. Though she wondered why they were not in other rooms. The house looked very big – big enough for more than one room at the least. The girl turned her gaze to the window with no curtains and obtained a curious small smile. She slowly moved herself from the chair and carefully stepped to the window to admire the night sky. It wasn't raining anymore and there were only a few dark clouds settling within the dark blue sky.  
"Wow..." she whispered, her cattish ears springing forward in amazement. She had never set eyes upon such a wondrous sight.  
"You okay now?" a voice interrupted her gazing. She jumped back in surprise – then realized she recognized that voice. Although she didn't know his name.  
"I-I'm fine..." she muttered, returning her gaze to the window in awkward silence.  
"You really can't remember anything?" Jim asked, walking up to the window as well. Before the girl couldn't see him, but now in the moonlight it was clear that she was correct in her guessing game. She shook her head in an answer to his question.  
"That must suck," he muttered.  
"I don't know. I don't know if it is bad or not. Maybe before I lost my memory I had done something wrong, so I deserved it," she mumbled and hesitated a moment, continuing to space out. "But maybe it's a good thing that I can't remember. It's just... I'd least want to be called something. There's a word nagging at the back of my mind, but I don't know. Kio," she said and turned slightly towards Jim.  
"Kio? Jeeze - that's an ancient name – can't remember where it originated though," he told her. The girl looked up to the sky again and smiled slightly.  
"Then you can call me that."  
  
It was about a day before Delbert and Jim's trip aboard the RLS Legacy. Jim was impatient – trying hard to wait for the following day to the Spaceport Cresentia. It was going to be great – he knew that – but for while he needed to wait to board the ship, tomorrow, he would take part in some other fun activity. If he could find one. Those damned cops – taking his board like that. Maybe it was possible to make another; the first one was custom made, so why couldn't he build another? If only the cops weren't there – they would surely take it. He didn't even know for sure if he had access to parts essential for the construction of a Solar Surfboard. Jim sighed and went to sit on the edge of one of the many cliffs standing over the Inn and a few other places in the small town.  
It was maybe in the afternoon as he still waited there, for an idea of how to wear off boredom to come to him. There was sleeping – but he couldn't sleep now – there was no possible way to fall asleep when he was too excited for the trip ahead.  
"Um... hello?" Kio walked lightly behind Jim on the cliff. This was startling for him as he didn't know she was there. Maybe he should tell her not to sneak up on people all the time.  
"I never heard your name – what is it?" she asked, smiling sweetly like a child, or someone of her significant memory losses. As for a normal person Kio probably woudn't have been smiling when asking a name – but it was long past.  
"Jim," he said in an irritated way, still scanning the horizon. Kio sat down next to him, but a little ways off side.  
"What was that green that was filling up the room a few nights ago?" she asked him.  
"A map," he answered in the same tone. There was silence.  
"I'm sorry – did I do something to anger you?" Kio asked and frowned, scooting away from him a little ways.  
"No, it isn't that. Something's just on my mind," he answered, in truth – sitting there reminded him of waiting on the dock when his father left for the final time. Kio still was frowning but in a sympathetic way now.  
"Maybe you shouldn't live in the past," she suggested semi- cheerfully. "Since you look so upset, it was probably bad enough while it was happening," she smiled again, although she didn't know that her statement was full of ignorance, it was still amusing to hear it put without a side laugh. Jim smirked somewhat.  
"What was that 'map' showing to?" Kio questioned, quite curious at this point about nearly everything.  
"Treasure Planet," he told her, not as glum now, and getting excited again for speaking of the planet. It had fascinated him ever since he was a child.  
"What is Treasure Planet?" she asked and Jim recited the story of Treasure Planet by heart, Kio listening intently and hanging on his every word. Pirates, new worlds, and riches, an all around epic. Was it real though? Indeed.  
"You are leaving for this planet tomorrow?" she asked in disbelief, deciding that Jim was the luckiest being ever. And Delbert, once she heard he was leaving as well. He nodded and Kio frowned glumly.  
"Would there be a possibility that I would join in on the hunt...?" she asked quietly in high hopes.  
"I don't know, but it isn't up to me – it's up to Doppler. I'm betting he wouldn't want you to come though."  
"Is it something I did?" Kio asked, again in high hopes that she did not make Doppler angry. Especially for passing out in his house.  
"No – it's probably going to be a rough trip and he wouldn't want you to get hurt," Jim explained to her. Kio thought about this for a moment or two. She decided it was worth that risk to have an adventure.  
"I still want to go. It would be greater to be there than here. And besides, you and Doppler are the only ones I actually know," she said – having learned their names by now, but she still didn't know Mrs. Hawkins that well, therefore she only mentioned Delbert and Jim. "It might make some good of me being here... I don't know what I am good for." There was more silence as both had not much to say. In many ways, this odd girl, Kio, reminded Jim of himself. Her attitude was certainly different – but it was obvious that in ways they were alike.  
"That's basically why I'm going - to make something of myself. To prove I'm not just a screw-up," Jim mentioned in addition to what Kio had said. In return Kio frowned and turned to stare at him a moment, pity strained in her eyes.  
"You aren't a screw-up. How can you say that about yourself?" she asked – forgetting that she knew nothing of him.  
"It's not anything worth talking about," he muttered stubbornly. Kio frowned and stood up, beginning to walk off.  
"I'm gonna go find Delbert," she explained and went off to leave Jim with his thoughts. 


	2. Chapter 2 A launching bond

I want to thank all of my reviewers. - I'm really glad you like it so far, and I hope I can continue to please you all with this fanfic, so please keep telling me what you think! I really hope to improve myself and such. You all can still IM me if you want to talk. I really enjoy all feedback. And I wouldn't mind it at all if anyone wanted to request something to see in this fanfic – as I plan to make it a long, slightly continued series. Also the disclaimer still stands – I own NOTHING. Except for Kio. She's the only one here that belongs to me.  
  
Kio was running back to greet Jim happily back on the cliff. Delbert had given in and granted her permission to come aboard the RLS Legacy with them both. She was practically busting with joy. The alien scurried up the cliff and looked around for the familiar boy. It was a little ways into the night, so it was beginning to darken outside, and with the sun down under the canyon cliff, it was hard to see up there. She was gone quite awhile, as Delbert was off continuing the organization of a crew when Kio went looking for him. So she had wait awhile, and didn't want to leave on the off chance that he came by.  
"Jim?" she called out and squinted, trying very hard to see if he was still there. She was so excited to be able to go along with them to find this 'Treasure Planet' and was discouraged to see that Jim had left before she had come back. The alien sighed and let her cattish ears droop lowly as she seated herself upon the cliff, but in the center with her legs crossed, this time, staring off into the sky again. She wondered where he could have been if he was not at Delbert's house. Maybe he left the cliff as she was coming back so as for her not to bother him. That was her best guess so far, and with that in her mind she sighed defeated. Kio was beginning to favor the small friendship. Or at least she thought it was a friendship. She was still ignorant of the ways between humans and other human-like species. She decided against leaving so soon and continued her gaze to the cloudy night sky.  
  
Delbert's house was once again warmed by fire, but quieter that evening. Anxiety growing strong within the household, the three who were leaving were mainly ready to leave at any given time, besides Kio who was extremely nervous about the ordeal, but otherwise was quite excited herself. She was perched by the window once more, staring off into the sky how she always enjoyed and trying to search it all for something more to see, but the night itself was good enough for her to stare at for hours. Delbert was bustling about the room scooping up un-needed accessories to bring along the trip and explaining how wonderful it was, how he had always wanted an opportunity such as this, and chanting his name in pride. 'Go Delbert! Go Delbert!' One thing that he had mentioned was new to Kio though – the Crescentia Spaceport? "What is that?" she asked, turning away from the window and blinking in curiosity. "Crescentia? Why it's a... a um... basic, docking bay? Yes, yes I think that's a good way to put it... But we'll be heading to there in the morning, so explaining it wouldn't help much," Delbert fumbled with his words, still getting around the room collecting various objects. Kio returned to staring out into space – now with a small mission – to find this 'Spaceport.' Crescentia, eh? It must be shaped as crescent then. With this in mind, the spaceport was easy to spot, even from afar. Although doubting from anxiety, Kio was coming to believe that leaving Montresser, as Jim had called the planet, and going for a trip, whether finding their destination or not, was going to be the best experience that she would ever have.  
  
They arrived at Crescentia early the next morning. Kio was no longer full of doubts, and now ready to go. As they were strolling amongst the other many aliens and humans alike on their journey to find the RLS Legacy she was almost everywhere at once, off gazing at sites she found fascinating, admiring a cute pet she had never seen before, or just left behind while exploring for a moment or two getting caught up in tourism. It was almost like trying to keep a dog without a leash to sit still in a city park. Kio finally caught up with Delbert and Jim once again as they had stopped to ask directions, and as they had stopped she had noticed what an odd outfit Delbert was wearing and was caught staring at it with a slight sympathetic expression mixed with humor. Doppler then begun to explain about a 'pushy two-headed saleswoman' one saying it fit him and the other saying it was his color (Kio chimed in to state that it was his color) and about him getting so flustered so that he didn't notice where he was going and bumped into Jim, who in return glared at him. "Look! That's our ship! The RLS Legacy!" Delbert ignored Jim glaring and pointed out the ship being readied for its trip. Both he and Kio immediately followed Delbert's gaze and were amazed at the wondrous sight of the Legacy. The three boarded the ship in search for the captain and Delbert spotted Mr. Arrow. Fancied up in uniform he looked more regal than the crew who were scurrying about the deck, and was assumed to be the head of the organization. "Good morning captain! Everything ship shape?" Doppler asked with much enthusiasm. "Ship shape it is sir, but I'm not the captain," Arrow told him. "The captain's aloft." As he said that a felinid buttoned up in an even fancier uniform than Arrow's own bounded down the masts with a couple of flips here and there, fancy footwork, and she landed swiftly and held her head high with pride. Delbert and Jim were left speechless however Kio grinned and clapped for the captain's performance. "Mr. Arrow, I've checked this miserable ship stem to stern and as usual it's, spot on. Can you get nothing wrong?" Amelia said slyly, perhaps showing off to the new three who stood watching her. She then made her way to Delbert. "Doctor Doppler, I presume?" she asked loudly in case he would not hear her through the suit's helmet. "Well, I uh... ahem," Delbert began. "Hello? Can you hear me?" Amelia asked and banged on the front of the helmet. "Yes I can, stop that banging!" he said, brushing away her hands in frenzy. "Hm, I believe this works so much better when plugged in," she said and arranged Delbert's suit quickly for him. "I believe I can handle my own plugging, thank you!" Doppler unplugged the cord from behind him and shook it firmly. Amelia took Delbert's hand and shook. "I am Captain Amelia, and I do believe you've met my first mate, Mr. Arrow. Sterling, tough, dependable, brave and true," "Please, captain..." Arrow said modestly. "Oh shut up, Arrow, you know I don't mean a word of it," Amelia teased. "Excuse me – sorry to interrupt this lovely banter, but let me introduce Jim Hawkins. You see, he's the boy who found the treasure –"Delbert was cut off sharply as Amelia and grabbed his muzzle to refrain him from continuing his explanation. She told him to join her below deck.  
  
After a word or few with the captain Jim, Kio, and Delbert were directed to meet with the cook, as Jim would be working for him, and Amelia had simply ordered Kio to do the same. "That woman – that, feline!" Doppler began angrily of Captain Amelia's sharp tongue and equal personality. "I don't know, she didn't seem so bad," Kio said, being in the front of their 'line' she had to look up behind her to see Delbert as she countered. "It's my map, and she's got me working for it!" Jim was also angry with Amelia. "I will not tolerate an ill word about our captain!" Mr. Arrow snapped at mainly Doppler and Jim. They had stopped, reaching the galley and noticing the cook was probably ignoring them, off in front of them gathering a few items that were probably used for cooking. "Mr. Silver," Arrow began. "Why Mister Arrow, sir," the cook, Mr. Silver, began to talk to Mr. Arrow, but mainly ignored by the three newcomers. Silver stepped out into the light, now it was obvious to see his robotic arm and leg, along with a few parts to the right side of his head. Jim inwardly gasped, realizing it was whom Bones was warning them about. "Cyborg..." he said, slightly with disbelief. Kio wasn't ignoring Silver mumble on before, but hearing what Jim had muttered to himself caught her attention. "Cyborg?" she whispered, leaning to the side a bit. "Think back to the salamander," Jim told her, whispering also. Kio stopped leaning and stood firmly once again, thinking back as was ordered. She was motionless for a moment or two, but then it hit her like a brick. And like getting hit with a brick Kio jumped back out of reactions to fear, remembering what had happened that night. When she had jumped back she had also gasped quite loudly, causing silence directed to her. She held still for a moment, and slowly went back to where she was, but slightly hiding behind Jim. The tension left as Silver stuck his hand out to Jim, which was a knife at that point. "Jimbo," he said, acting friendly, then noticed his mistake. He rotated the knife to a mechanical hand. Jim glared at the cook. "Eh, don't be too put off by this, hunk 'o hardware..." Silver said and started on his duty to prepare food, cutting here, and snipping there. As he was chopping some sort of vegetables in rows he pretended to chop off his own hand, sending Kio into slight startle. "It takes some time getting' used to, but it comes in mighty handy from time to time," he joked, set aflame a pan full of the items he sliced and diced and poured the innards into a pot. He grabbed a ladle scooped some of the stew up and took a taste for himself, then poured it into three bowls, handing each of them one. "Try me famous bonzabeast stew," he said, walking over to Doppler, who was cautiously lapping some up. "Hm, tangy, yet, robust," he said, seemingly enjoying it. "Old family recipe," he mentioned as an eyeball surfaced in the concoction. "In fact, that was part of the old family!" Silver laughed, grabbed the eyeball and popped it into his mouth. "Heh heh, just kiddin' doc," he mentioned, noticing that Doppler was appalled by the grotesque humor. Kio was watching that scene and had noticed that the 'cook' had not been chopping or grabbing, or spooning any sort of eyeball into the mixture. She decided that it was not edible, no matter how hungry she was. Right after that observation she noticed that she was starving, and hadn't eaten for days. Kio still was definitely not going to eat the stew. Maybe something else some other time. Jim however was not as picky as Kio and was thinking about trying it. As he reached for the spoon it acquired a pinkish, blob-like head and soon shaped into some odd little pink thing that you might find in a lava lamp. It changed into a straw and ate the stew that was left in the bowl, and turned itself back to the form of something inside a lava lamp. "Why Morphy – I was wonderin' where ye had gotten to!" Silver said as Morph flew over to him and sat upon his finger, nuzzling the human side of Silver's face. The creature flew over to Jim, curious of the new comers. "Heh, what is that thing?" Jim asked, Morph mimicked him and was lightly poked, went into pieces and returned as an exact replica of Jim but small enough to stand on his finger. "It's a Morph. I rescued the little shapeshifter a while back. Took a shine to me ever since," the cook said as Morph went over to Kio, whom was intrigued by the odd creature, forgetting about Silver. Morph transformed to mimic Kio's head as she turned to look at him from different angles, Morph doing the same, almost as a mirror. He changed back to his original pink form and went back to Silver. Mr. Arrow left with Doppler to go see the launch. "So... Cap'in's put ya me, eh?" Silver asked the obvious, not really in a question's form. More along the lines to point the fact. Jim went over to a barrel that was filled with odd little purple objects in shapes of lemons. "You know... These perps remind me of the ones back home. On Montresser..." he said, grabbing one and taking a bite out of it, beginning to interrogate Silver. Kio noticed him taking a 'perp' and grabbed one herself. If he had eaten it then it must be safe, even if it was in this kitchen. She nibbled on it a moment and noted it to be delicious. She grabbed a few handfuls of them and stuffed them into the pockets of the trench coat. She had worn it since it dried, so it wasn't as heavy, despite the material it consisted of. After about four armfuls went into her pockets she stopped taking them and let it be at that number. "Bones? Bones?" Silver asked Jim in a way of ignorance. Kio realized that she had missed a few sentences of questioning, and decided to listen from then on. "Hmm, 't'ain't ringin' any bells. Must have been a different cyborg. There's a sea o' cyborgs, roamin this part," the cook continued on his string of lies, Kio believing every word. Silver sent them out to watch the launch, not wanting to be questioned any further, and was thanking God for Mr. Arrow's call.  
  
Kio and Jim clambered up on deck, Doppler already far ahead of them with the Captain. They stopped a moment as the ship began to rise from the spaceport, and both began to float upwards.  
"Mr. Snuff, engage artificial gravity!" Amelia ordered sternly. The alien said a few unknown words in his own odd language and pulled down a lever, landing all that were beginning to fly upwards.  
"Brace yourself, Doctor," Amelia warned Doppler, who in return mocked her. As the ship took off nearly suddenly it sent Doppler flying into a wall. Kio too unfortunately went flying back, and as she had strayed near a higher floor in front of the railing, she flew backwards, hit the railing and fell and skidded on her back on the lower floor. She groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing her back and gritting her teeth, her eyes shut to keep them from leaking out of the pain she felt. Jim quickly went to aid her, having watched everything.  
"That looked like it hurt. You okay?" he asked, kneeling beside her. Kio looked over to him opening her eyes and nodded, however it was clear to see the tears welling up in her gray, with a hint of blue, hued eyes. Yet she still slightly smiled.  
"I'll be fine," Kio winced, "It doesn't hurt that bad." She was lying through her teeth. Suddenly a lonely yet beautiful call echoed out amongst the galaxy and both Kio and Jim looked up to see at least fifty orcas galacticus swimming on by, afloat of the air.  
"Wow," Kio said in amazement, gazing upon them. They both went over to the ratlines to have a closer look at the majestic creatures. Both fascinated by the species relating to a whale.  
"Jimbo!" Silver called out seemingly anger at the cabin boy, causing immediate attention of both 'cabin' ranked.  
"I've got two new friends I'd like you to meet," he said, Jim looking around anxiously with delight. Then was very disappointed as Silver tossed him a mop and bucket.  
"Mr. Mop, and Mrs. Bucket," he said, enjoying the boy's devastation, "Kio – your two new friends are waitin' for ye down 'ere." Silver pointed to a mop and bucket leaning up against the main mast. Kio was slightly disappointed herself, but then again she was expecting work among the trip as a 'cabin girl.' They began to mop as ordered, Morph 'watching these here pups.' Suddenly a very large, muscle-bound, scary-looking alien walked by and pushed Jim out of the way and against the ship's border.  
"Watch it, twerp," the alien snarled and went on his way. Jim collected himself and went back to mopping, stopping to eavesdrop on a few suspicious-looking characters muttering almost inaudible words to each other. They noticed him almost immediately and stopped abruptly.  
"What're you looking at, weirdo?" one of them asked Jim and then scurried off it's bulky body onto the other border of the ship, it's 'body,' which happened to be a different alien, acquiring eyes and mouth.  
"Yeah, weirdo," it said. Jim raised an eyebrow and Kio began to back away, mopping in a different area a bit nearer to Jim and Morph.  
"Cabin boys should mind their own business," Mr. Scroop, a tall scrawny, spider-like alien, hissed, coming down from the main mast to Jim.  
"Why, you got something to hide, bright eyes?" Jim smirked as he asked Scroop the meaningless question that seemed as sarcasm. The boy had countered – that did not please Scroop.  
"Why you little..." the alien snarled at Jim, grabbed his collar, picked him up, and slammed him against the main mast, ready to teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget, if live to remember it at all. Kio gasped, she didn't know what to do. What could she do? If anything be a distraction – she surely did not want to see Jim hurt at all, so she did what was her only option. Kio, being half felinid, set out her claws and ran for one of Scroop's legs, which she grabbed and latched her claws into along with biting his leg. She also set out the claws in her feet (her feet which were definitely more cat-like than human-like) and pushed them against Scroop's leg as well. The alien cried out in pain as Kio's claws dug deeper.  
"You insignificant little brat!" Scroop hissed at her, flinging his leg trying to knock her off, and succeeded, sending Kio heading to fly off the ship. She winced, expecting to continue and be lost within the galaxy forever, until she was grabbed by the collar of her trench coat by none other than Silver. He set her down and Kio backed up, watching what he was going to do to Scroop.  
"Mr. Scroop. You ever seen what happens to a fresh perp, when ya squeeze, real, hard?" he asked while grabbing the spider's thick arm and squeezing it until it looked as small as three inches. Scroop wailed and grabbed his arm once Silver let go, rubbing it vigorously. Jim fell from Scroop's grip and rushed to get away from him, joining Kio.  
"What's all this then?" Mr. Arrow came into the scene demanding to know what the fighting was about.  
"You know the rules. There'll be no brawling aboard this ship. Any further offenders will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the trip. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Scroop?" Arrow glared at the spider, waiting a reply.  
"Transparently..." Scroop growled after hesitating.  
"Well done Mr. Arrow, sir! A quiet ship's a happy ship! Sir!" Silver called out as Mr. Arrow left. He then turned to Kio and Jim angrily.  
"I gave you two jobs to do!" he growled.  
"Hey I was doing it, until that, bug thing..." Jim began.  
"Belay then! Kio, what's your excuse?" he turned to a frightened- looking Kio standing beside Jim, whom only stuttered in reply.  
"When I come back I want this ship swabbed spotless! And heaven help ya if it's not done! Morph! Keep an eye on these here pups," he ordered sternly and left, leaving Morph transformed to large eyeballs, moving from Jim to Kio every minute.  
  
Morph had transformed to a miniature mop, helping out Jim for a minute or so, then went back to his original form, hiccuping bubbles. Kio went over to them both from the other side of the deck to be entertaining by the little shapeshifter, and laughed at his humorous antics.  
"Well this has been a fun night. Making new friends... Like that spider- physco," Jim said sarcastically, Kio nodding in agreement. Morph shaped into a small replica of Scroop and jumped at Jim.  
"Spider-physco, spider-physco!" he mimicked.  
"A little uglier," Jim critiqued. Morph covered his fake spider face and let go, making Scroop look as a laughing maniac with huge teeth.  
"Almost," he said with a smirk. Silver joined them up on deck, throwing out the left overs of the night's meal (which Kio still was not going to touch. She had eaten one or two perps for her dinner) and making a few comments on how the deck was still in one piece.  
"About today... I just wanted to say thanks," Jim muttered to Silver.  
"Didn't your pop ever teach ya t'pick your fights more carefully?" the cook asked sympatheticly. Jim kept quiet and turned away. Kio listened in carefully now, either thinking Jim didn't reply out of shame or didn't reply out of some other reason.  
"Your father not the teachin' sort...?" Silver asked him.  
"No. More like the, taking off and never coming back sort," Jim said angrily, leaving Kio pitying him. Even for one who would never know her father, the remark was just too upsetting.  
"Sorry lad..." Silver had begun to say.  
"Hey, it's no big deal... I mean, we're just fine..." Jim muttered in reply, inturrupting the cook.  
"Well, so as to that then! The captain's put me in charge, and you won't eat, sleep, or scratch your bum without my say first!" Silver told him sternly in light-heartedness.  
"Don't do me any favors!" Jim said.  
"Oh you can be sure of that, lad. You can be sure of that!" 


	3. Chapter 3 I'm Still Here

The discalimer is still there. I own Kio, but I own nothing else within this fanfic. Also, the song, "I'm Still Here" doesn't belong to me either. It belongs to either John Rzeznik or Disney.  
  
Kio was sitting upon the main mast, gazing out at stars and constellations without much conscious thought. The night was passing slowly, and Kio wasn't able to sleep well. Everytime she shut her eyes and tried to sleep, she would see Mr. Scroop coming towards her ready to strike. Or each time she was almost alseep, she would feel herself falling overboard when Scroop tried to kick her off deck, and would find herself on the floor underneath the cot she slept in. So Kio had given up and went to go watch the stars like she always did, and now as she was within the holds of deep space they were so much more beautiful.  
  
I am a question to the world,  
  
Not an answer to be heard,  
  
Or a moment –  
  
That's held in your arms.  
  
Jim wasn't exactly sleeping well either, and decided to come up to deck as well. There wasn't much of anything else to do besides watch stars slowly pass, although he didn't find as near amazing as Kio did. He sighed and wandered over to the ship's wall between itself and the galaxy, leaning against it in deep thought. Kio perked up at the sight of Jim, happy to see that she wasn't alone out there either, but more happy that he was there in the first place. Quickly she scampered down the mast and onto the ratlines nearest to him. She looked over her shoulder, pretending not to notice him as he had his back facing her, and wasn't aware of her presence. She then smiled cheerfully.  
"Hi," Kio said, causing Jim startle like she always did.  
  
And what do you think you'd ever say?  
  
I won't listen anyways,  
  
You don't know me,  
  
And I'll never be what you want me to be.  
  
"Gezz, Kio – Don't sneak up on me like that!" Jim said turning around and rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. Kio merely continued smiling, knowing that he would say somewhat of that sort. He grumbled something to himself that was inaudible to the alien, then asked her what she doing there anyways.  
"I couldn't sleep so I came out here," she answered, "Why? You 'kay?"  
"I'm fine. Just, same reason," he told her, slightly lying. There was an uncomforting silence as both looked out to the stars once again, both wishing the other would say something. Kio reluctantly gave in.  
"Hey... Um... What happened to your dad? You said he went away and didn't come back...," Kio asked him quietly, hoping not to be lashed out at.  
"Oh. Nothing, it doesn't really matter. I mean, we never really got along anyways...," Jim mumbled in reply, somewhat lying again.  
  
And what do you think you'd understand?  
  
I'm a boy – no,  
  
I'm a man,  
  
You can't take me and throw me away.  
  
"Do you miss him?" Kio asked him with inertest, but again quietly, not wanting to upset him.  
"Sometimes," he said, scanning the horizon for, probably, nothing in particular. "But we're – my mom and I – are getting along fine without him. At least she is. And again, I came here to rpove myself, and still... I don't know why I even try. I mean, it's clear that I'm not anything else than a screw-up," Jim said angrily, hating himself. Another awkward silence took place and Kio jumped down from the ratlines, walking over to Jim.  
"Name something that you're good at. Go on, name at least one thing and I'll bet that I can connect it to many, many other good qualities that you can't see," she challeneged him with confidence. Jim thought about this for a moment or so.  
  
And how can you learn what's never shown?  
  
Yeah you stand here on your own,  
  
They don't know me,  
  
'Cause I'm not here.  
  
"Heh, I know one thing that I'm good at that no one else is proud of. Solar surfing," Jim said, somewhat laughing at himself in semi-irony.  
"Solar surfing?" Kio asked, Jim explaining to her what Solar surfing was excactly.  
"Hm... You built your surfboard yourself, correct?" she asked, Jim nodded. "Then you must be very smart. There's two good traits."  
"No one else thinks so," he said, irratated.  
"I'll bet they do think you're smart. Hm... Let's see, along with that you act smart, and you're helpful. That's three good traits," she continued. "You helped the old creature from the ship. You're a careing person for sure. You cared to help out that guy, and you've comforted me a few times." Kio smiled softly. "Four."  
"Four only, eh? I appreciate your concern, but I'm not the greatest person, Kio," Jim said.  
"Four's a lot for someone who can't even see that in themselves! And besides, you came aboard to make something of yourself, right? Well, we're not at Treasure Planet yet, are we?" Kio asked enthusiasticly. Jim smiled lightly as he climbed up above her and sat on the mast connecting to the lines, soon out on a limb of it, wind rushing through hair as he turned his gaze to watch the sky, now seeing it a bit different than before. Kio was soon right there beside him, smiling warmly.  
  
And I want a moment to be real,  
  
Wanna touch things I don't feel,  
  
Wanna hold on,  
  
And feel I belong. And how can the world want me to change?  
  
They're the ones that stay the same,  
  
They don't know me –  
  
But I'm still here.  
  
"You know, most people don't see the 'good' in me like you do," Jim mentioned to Kio, still admiring the view from the mast.  
"That's strange. I thought that they would have," she said, staring off into space again, without thinking very much. Another silence passed between them.  
"I'm gonna go try and sleep now. Maybe I'll have some luck," Jim said, carefully getting down onto the deck in one piece, succeeding, and then heading down the stairs, yet he turned. Kio was still there.  
"Thanks," he said, loud enough for her to hear.  
"I know how you can repay me," she called out after him, before he was completely gone below deck. "Take me solar surfing sometime!" Kio finished and Jim left slightly smiling.  
  
And you see the things they never see,  
  
All you wanted I could be,  
  
Now you know me,  
  
And I'm not afraid.  
  
Over the time that they had spent aboard the RLS Legacy, both Jim and Kio had grown to be close friends with Silver and each other – Kio being especially clingy for her helpless attitude. Both of the cabin ranked had found a father figure in Silver. They were way below deck, untying a spare boat for Silver to use, for some unknown purpose.  
  
And I want to tell you who I am,  
  
Can you help me be a man?  
  
They can't break me,  
  
As long as I know who I am.  
  
And both were disappointed that Silver took off in the boat, hating to lose his company, and wishing so hard that he would come back. It was especially hard for Jim to watch him go, as it was so familiar of watching his father leave that horrid day.  
  
They can't tell me who to be,  
  
'Cause I'm not what they see,  
  
Yeah the world is still sleeping while I keep on dreaming for me,  
  
And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe.  
  
Silver then reared back to the ship, inviting Kio and Jim aboard.  
  
And I want a moment to be real,  
  
Wanna touch things I don't feel,  
  
Wanna hold on,  
  
And feel I belong.  
  
Silver allowed Jim to pilot the boat, sensing that Kio didn't have a clue about working the boats, which he was correct, and was surprised when Jim took a hold of the controls and sent it out flying fast into the galaxy and headed for a comet. Kio gripped her seat, sitting in front, as she was nearly pushed back under the sudden speed.  
  
And how can they say I never change?  
  
They're the ones that stay the same,  
  
I'm the one now,  
  
'Cause I'm still here.  
  
Kio stuck out her hand as Jim directed the boat flying right into a comet trail to catch some of the soft sparkling powder that she found fascinating, laughing gleefully with excitement. Silver was trying his best to keep upright as Jim took the boat into a spinning cycle, but surprisingly Kio was having a blast. Maybe the trip so far had changed her more than she knew.  
  
I'm the one,  
  
'Cause I'm still here.  
  
Jim stopped it from spinning on and began to take it away from the comet, brushing off some of the powder from the trails, Kio doing the same, but trying to collect it. Now only if she had a jar to put it all in and reminisce of the night in the boat.  
  
I'm still here...  
  
He carefully flew the vehicle back to the Legacy, and all of them began to tie it up again.  
  
I'm still here...  
  
After they were finished tying up the boat they rested within its boundaries, taking part in conversing and all. Suddenly the ship gave a huge lurch, nearly sprawling the three out of the boat.  
"What the devil...?" Silver began and went up on deck, followed by Kio and Jim. Doppler was up on deck using his spyglass to inspect a star they neared, which seemed odd.  
"Good heavens! The star! It's gone super nova!" he gasped, obviously frightened and confused as to what exactly to do in the situation.  
"All hands fasten your lifelines!" Mr. Arrow yelled as many members of the crew went running about the deck nearly in hysterics. Jim, Kio, and Silver all went to fasten their own (Kio had recently learned how to tie the knots).  
"Secure all sails!" Mr. Arrow ordered. Jim went out on the limb with Silver close behind, Kio on the mast's upper limb above both. Sudden little rocks went flying from the sky and smacked against Silver's leg, sending him cascading downwards off the mast's limb.  
"Silver!" Jim cried out and grabbed the lifeline with impeccable timing, saving the pirate from a horrid fall. Maybe even death. Silver reached out for Jim's shoulder from support, inhaling and exhaling heavily.  
"Thanks lad," he said between breaths. Laser cannons were fired many times with full power aimed for a huge rock heading their way. Kio slid down a rope onto the mast which Jim and Silver were balancing on. They readied themselves for when it hit them, but that never did come. The rock was slowly taken back and sucked right up into a hole.  
"Captain! The star!" a shrimpy little alien with a numerous amount of eyes cried out from the crows nest.  
"It's devolving into a... black hole!" Doppler pointed out.  
"We're being pulled in!" Mr. Turnbuckle yelled, being thrown from the steer of the ship, which was taken over by Captain Amelia.  
"No, you don't!" she growled, taking it back into position, yet it did no good as they were being pulled in whether they liked it or not. Jim and Silver came down from the mast, however Kio was thrown from it with much force, being quite light and flimsy. She was knocked in front of Jim and Silver, which was lucky for them as a sharp, yet tiny, rock blasted to one of the scars of Kio's, which would have hurt them otherwise. She hardly ever felt what happened to the two large cuts on her face anyways.  
"Curse these blasts – they're erratic!" Amelia said, her hands still upon the steering wheel.  
"No captain! They're not erratic at all! There will be another one in exactly 47.2 seconds! Then the biggest migillar of all!" Doppler yelled.  
"Of course! We'll ride that last migillar out of here! Brilliant doctor!" She said.  
"All sails secured, captain!" Mr. Arrow told her.  
"Good man! Now, release them immediately!" she called out to Mr. Arrow.  
"Aye... captain... You heard her, men!" he said.  
"Mr. Hawkins! Check and secure all lifelines!" she ordered him.  
"Aye captain!" Jim rushed to go do so. Kio wiped away the new blood on the sleeve of her coat, which flew off her shoulders right after that as she stood up. She watched it go until it was sucked up by the black hole with despair. The perps were still inside the pockets, and the comet dust. What clothed her was a changed shirt and pants (her original set of clothes were all bloody) – the shirt was baggy for her and she used three belts to keep it on her. Two belts for the sleeves so they were not in the way of her hands, and one belt around her slim middle. It was a spare tan long- sleeved shirt of Jim's, the pants also a hand-me-down somewhat. Being of green hue and baggy, too large for her so a belt she wore had even less notches than the others. Kio began to climb up the ratlines to unfurl the sails as Arrow had ordered, when she saw him flew overboard.  
"Oh no..." she mumbled. His lifeline must not have been secured. She was sure that Jim had simply not reached Arrow's before the alien had fallen to his death in space.  
"Lifelines secured, Captain!" Jim yelled out to Amelia as Kio ran over to him and Silver.  
"Hang on to your lifelines, gents, it's going to be a bumpy ride!" Amelia called out. Silver stood by the mast, over Jim and Kio keeping close so as to make sure they would not be lost. Kio whimpered once, right before they were consumed into complete darkness inside the black hole. There was a strange silence as everything was gone. There was nothing left of the RLS Legacy or the crew, and would be gone for all time's rest. Until the final blast of a wave from the hole drove the ship out of nothingness and sent them back on their trail. The crew cheered for Amelia and realizing that they were not dead, Silver, Jim, and Kio relaxed for a while. Morph had been to relieved that he dropped into a puddle.  
"All hands accounted for, Mr. Arrow?" Captain Amelia asked. When no one came there was silence, and Kio nearly felt sick. She had seen what had happened to him, but not the real case. She was still arguing with herself if it was really Jim's fault or not. After all, the rope could have snapped. And how much would a large rock-built person weigh and still be able to keep a rope from snapping while being pulled into a black hole anyways? Mr. Scroop slowly came up on deck holding Mr. Arrow's hat with his head down, pretending to grieve for the loss.  
"Mr. Arrow has been lost. His lifeline was not secured," Scroop lied, handing the hat to Amelia with fake sympathy. The crew turned to Jim with hateful eyes, Amelia looking on with grief, but still the look in her eyes demanded to know what had happened to him. Jim was confused at this point and ran straight to the lifelines, Kio at his heels.  
"No I... I checked them all... I did, I checked them all... They were right here," Jim said, more to himself but turned to the captain with pleading eyes for forgiveness. Kio saw where Mr. Arrow's lifeline should have been, her ears drooping in pity for the cabin boy and looked on following his gaze to Amelia as well.  
"Mr. Arrow was a fine spacer... Finer that any of us would ever hope to be," Amelia said quietly trying her best not to cry for her dear friend. "But he knew the risks. As do we all." She started to her stateroom, hoping for an escape from all of the crew's judging eyes, if she were to let go and just weep. She even ignored Doppler as she went, no energy left at all.  
  
The night was a sleepless one once more. Nothing more to be done or said. Jim was still sitting in the ratlines, staring off into space, hating himself and life amongst that. That would be the biggest mistake of his life. Nothing could ever take back the fact that it was his fault a being was dead. And there was nothing worse than knowing that. For Kio, in truth with that in mind, loosing all of her memories was of a little cost. But she would never know the grief that had pained her in the past. Coming from below deck Kio rose, having watched Jim leave a while ago. She had figured that Silver would go after him, but so far it wasn't the case, so she was more than willing to go try and help him out.  
She sat down by him on the ratlines as well, hesitating before talking. She sighed.  
"You didn't mean to. It isn't your fault," Kio began, her eyes shut for a first instead of looking out at all of the stars.  
"You wouldn't understand," Jim told her angrily.  
"Probably not, but I know that you wouldn't ever try to kill a person. Intentionally."  
"Just drop it. There's nothing left to do," Jim muttered. He didn't really want to fight with Kio, but he was too upset, and talking was just making it worse. At that moment Silver came upon deck and leaned on the wall of the ship.  
"It weren't your fault, y'know," he said thoughtfully. "Why half the crew would be-"  
"Look! Don't you get it? I mean I messed up! For once, I thought I did something right! But then, just! Forget it! Just forget it," Jim yelled, jumping down from the ratlines and leaning on the mast afterwards. Silver put his hand upon Jim's shoulder and turned him around forcefully. He began talking with him nearly angrily. Kio gone off the ratlines by now, and up on the limb of a smaller mast, hardly listening in on their conversation, save for a few words.  
"You got the makings of greatness in ye! Stick to it! You just need to take the hell of a chance, and when ye do, I hope I'm there. Catching some of the light coming off your sails," Silver said, Kio listening fully on this part thoughtfully.  
"I hope I'm there too," she whispered, inaudible to either Jim or Silver. The cabin boy wiped his eyes and leaned against Silver, who in return, hesitated then hugged him. It was clear that Jim saw Silver as a father-figure now, and it was sad to watch. For Kio at least, always sympathetic. Silver coughed and sent him to bed.  
"Getting in too deep here, Morphy... Soon they'll be saying I've gone soft," the pirate muttered and began to leave, finishing his rounds.  
"Payback time, kitty kitty," Scroop growled, flexing his claws at Kio. She had nothing to say, so she stood still, the spider coming closer for her. She looked around. There was nowhere to run.  
"That's right. You can't get away from here, and you'll be dead if you try," Scroop snarled. Kio saw one way though. She scurried under Scroop and away, climbing up higher on the mast.  
"You annoying little...," Scroop began as Kio got away. He chased after her, and for dumb luck wise he caught her and held her above the deck, ready to cut her up. Kio panicked and did what came to mind. She cried out for help. Very loudly. Scroop snarled.  
"Shut up! Now you're in for it!" Scroop was about to try and kill her, but the call for help proved help, as Jim rushed up on deck, looking around for the voice he recognized to be Kio's. Then spotted Scroop hanging her above the deck, Kio trying to escape, and looked over at Jim as a God- sent. Now seeing Jim there as well, Scroop was thinking to kill them both off for what they did back when Mr. Arrow was around. He flung Kio off the mast heading for the main one, which was good luck as she hit it, but grabbed onto it as well, so she came down easily. Before so she noticed Silver coming to see what all the noise was about.  
"Jim let's go!" Kio whispered harshly. "Silver's coming and Scroop can't do anything to us when he's around." Agreeing they both went back below, leaving Silver to handle it.  
"What was that about?" Jim asked Kio.  
"Scroop wanted payback, or somewhat," she answered tiredly trying to sleep in the cot, she called a bed. "Best watch out fer him..." she yawned before falling completely silent, even from the startle of Scroop again. All and all, Kio just hoped they would get to Treasure Planet in one piece.  
  
I'm Still Here- 


	4. Chapter 4 Forgotten for so long

The disclaimer is still standing. I only own Kio. Nothing else here belongs to me.  
  
Jim was rudely awoken by Mr. Snuff 'talking' in his sleep, on the cot hanging over his own. He rolled onto the ground and began pulling on his boots while he was still pretty much asleep. Kio was over at a corner below deck, whispering something to Morph, slyly watching Jim, making sure he wouldn't see them. Morph nodded vigorously and changed into an exact replica of Jim's other boot. As the cabin boy reached out for it, it hopped away a few inches. Kio had to cover her mouth to muffle her laughter.  
"Morph?" Jim asked, rubbing his eyes to awake himself and crawled over to where the boot flew over behind a barrel. "Morph, knock it off. It's too early." The boot flew behind Jim and kicked his rear.  
"Ow! Hey! Morph!" Jim was finally woken up to that and went to chase the flying boot which stuck out its tongue and laughed at him, along with Kio in the corner. Morph went back to his original form and grabbed the real boot to take away from him. He flew in circles, Jim chasing him until they soared on deck. Kio was right behind them. Jim grabbed his boot from Morph as the shapeshifter flew into vent to hide from him. Kio balanced on the tips of her cattish feet right next to Jim, watching to see what Morph would do next. Morph surfaced and was blown upon by Jim, so the shapeshifter changed to what seemed to a blowfish and flattened itself, spitting water on Jim's face, sending Kio back to laughing, until Morph did the exact same thing to her, making her quiet and giving Jim and chance to mock her. Then he went back to Morph.  
"That's it, you little squit!" Jim said and readied his boot to play 'smack a mole' with Morph as the mole. Morph surfaced as a copy of Jim's head and mimicked his words.  
"Little squit!" the shapeshifter chimed, diving and surfacing many times, each time as more. Morph finally flew from the vent, resorting to let Kio and Jim chase in down to the galley, as where he was headed.  
Jim fell down the stairs while pulling on his other boot scanning the room for Morph. Kio ran into the room right after Jim fell down and was listening intently as a hunter would, searching for the little mischievous shapeshifter as well. They both subconsciously shared a thought: the barrel. Both ran to it and were greeted by nothing but perps. Until one of them obtained a pair of eyes.  
"Busted!" Jim remarked and dove into the barrel, clasping onto Morph and telling him to be quiet as the crew came down into the galley. Kio dove behind the same barrel and peered out from the side.  
"I say we kill 'em all now..." Mr. Scroop hissed to Silver. Silver in return grabbed and shook the spider alien's long muzzle angrily.  
"I'll say what's to say around here! You wanna blow th'whole mutiny before its time!? Like that stunt y'pulled with Mr. Arrow! An' tryin' t'finish off Kio, then 'eadin' fer Jim!? Ye'd be lucky if we weren't all tied up by now!" Silver threw Scroop at the barrel Jim was hiding in and Kio was hiding behind. Scroop muttered something once he recollected himself.  
"Y'got somethin' t'say Mr. Scroop?" Silver asked the alien with slightly less rage, but very annoyed with him. Scroop thrust his claw down into the barrel that he was thrown at and reached for a perp inside of it. Jim carefully stuck one into the grabbing claw of the alien's.  
"It's those kids," Scroop hissed, rotating the perp about. "Methinks you have a /soft/ spot fer 'em." He pricked the perp with a claw and let it's juices spill from the side. The rest of the crew began to close in on Silver, their eyes accusing and loyalties beginning to doubt.  
"Now listen up – the lotta ya! I care about one t'ing an' one t'ing only! Flint's Trove! Y'think I'd risk it all for the sake of some, nose- wipin' lil' whelps?" Silver began in a fit of rage.  
"Oh you got the makin's of /greatness/ in ye..." Scroop mocked.  
"Shut yer yap! I cozied up to those lil' brats t'keep 'em off our scent! But I ain't gone soft..." Silver growled.  
"Land hoi!" a shrill voice yelled from the deck. The pirates moved out. Kio and Jim were left speechless and severely hurt. Not wanting to believe what they had just now had to hear. They slowly moved out from where they hid, joy gone. Not even caring about how they reached Treasure Planet at last. Silver quickly returned to grab his spyglass. Kio jumped out of his way oand positioned herself on a wall out of fear that was rapidly growing, but also a large portion of it was hatred for all the lies he spat at them. Silver was taken aback of her startle and was aiming to see if things were ok, but after he took one step towards Kio she was out on deck, hoping to stray as far from the cyborg as possible, yet her loyalty told her to stay put and wait for Jim. Even more so it told her not to desert him and leave him with the traitor cook. She slowly came back, but only two steps back down the stairs into the galley. Silver was looking for his spyglass and was greeted by Jim's cold, harsh glare as he backed up to the table.  
"Jimbo! Playing games...?" Silver asked, slightly startled by Jim glaring and backing up. What was up with them?  
"Yeah... Playing games..." Jim muttered.  
"I never was good at games... Always hated t'lose..." Silver said, changing his robotic hand to a gun. Kio gasped inwardly and mouthed the word 'gun' to Jim several times. Jim reached for a sharpened knife from on the table after seeing what Kio was trying to tell him.  
"Me too!" Jim rammed the knife into Silver's robotic leg and ran, Kio right behind him. Silver ran up on deck, with much trouble as his leg wasn't working correctly. A shrill whistle interrupted all else onboard.  
"Change in plans, lads! We move now!" Silver yelled, after spotting Kio and Jim run into the captain's stateroom.  
  
"Pirates on my ship – I'll they all hanged," Amelia stated full of rage. She tossed a pistol over to Doppler.  
"Doctor, familiar with these?" she asked. Doppler began to say somewhat of him knowing how to use them, when he accidentally fired to a globe in Amelia's stateroom. She looked up alarmed.  
"Um, no, no I'm not," Delbert reluctantly confessed. Amelia rolled her eyes. She took out the map and tossed it to Jim.  
"Mr. Hawkins, guard this with your life." However just as she did Morph came and snatched the sphere.  
"Morph let go!" Jim grabbed the map and finally got him to let go.  
  
"Will ye be takin' all day about it!?" Silver asked impatiently loading a cannon in his arm and fired through the door, yet disappointed to see that they had escaped in a hole in the floor.  
  
Jim, Doppler, Kio, Amelia, and Morph dove into a boat and readied it to be launched when the pirates burst through the door.  
"Chew on this, ya pus filled boils!" Amelia yelled and fired at them. Doppler closed his eyes and fired the pistol at a heavy object above them. It came crashing down and took the lives of the pirates coming to attack them. Amelia was impressed.  
"Did you actually aim for that?" she asked.  
"You know actually I did," Doppler mentioned, then was pushed down by the captain as a shot nearly hit him from Silver. As for Jim, Morph had stolen the map and he was busy chasing him to where the shapeshifter dropped it. Kio was still in the boat with Amelia and Doppler. Silver went out to try and get Morph to give him the map, and Jim was just as persistent. Morph gave up and dropped it into a pile of ropes, which Jim got to first. He waited to run from Silver, a note of sympathy emplaced in his eyes, then he ran. The boat's escape route was already being blocked – the closing of the door underneath them. So as Jim came into view Amelia and Doppler fired, knowing Jim would be able to reach the boat in time. As it fell into the sky Jim jumped aboard, but nearly fell off completely and was hanging on the side for dear life. Kio rushed to aid him alongside of Doppler. They pulled him up and to safety.  
However it was not over yet. A large, fat alien was working the cannons and fired.  
"Captain! Laser ball at twelve o'clock!" Doppler yelled completely out of fear, ducking. Amelia tried her best to move the boat free of the target, but it was fruitless efforts as the laser still hit them, and hurt Amelia badly on her side. The ship flew in no control into the mists of the planet. They crashed through a plant of some sort, sending the ship to spiraling through the air and landing upside down, continuing to skid like that until it finally slowed down and stopped. Delbert climbed out and turned it on it's side first off, breathing heavily.  
"Heh... Well, that was more fun than I'd ever like to have again," he said as a somewhat comic-relief. Jim took out the map as the captain requested, but it floated up and came undone. This was Morph's doing. The little shapeshifter started laughing hysterically.  
"Morph! Where's the map!?" Jim asked enthusiastically with much anger towards Morph. He displayed the map falling into the rope pile.  
"Are you serious!?" Jim yelled. "It's back on the ship!?" Morph obtained a guilty, yet still humored look.  
"Stifle that blob and get down. We have company," Amelia muttered sternly to them all as a ship that was full of pirates flew overhead.  
"We need a more defensive position. Mr. Hawkins, Kio, go scout ahead," Amelia ordered and then was forced to lay down and be still while Doppler made sure she was alright.  
"Aye captain," Jim said, taking the offered gun. "C'mon Kio," he said, and Kio followed him obediently. They were making their way down slopes and such, soon moving on to a densely forested area. As they went on they noticed a few plants clumped together as if they were a bush moving. Jim grabbed the gun and told Morph to be quiet as he slowly wandered over to where the 'bushes' were, Kio at his side. It was all too quiet after they had moved, and were paranoid of being watched. Both slowly looked over the odd plants, expecting something jump out, and that it did.  
"HI!" a robot made his appearance so startling that Jim fell over, Kio simply tripping backwards. The robot pinned Jim to the ground while blabbering on.  
"Finally! A carbon based life form coming to rescue me at last! I just wanna hold ya and squeeze ya and hold ya close to me!" He hugged Jim, was brutally pushed off then went to Kio whom just stood there being hugged and shuddered, not knowing quite what to do, and was paralyzed with fear of this new loud robot whom had just knocked them to the ground by scaring them. Jim pulled him off of her and was hugged by the lunatic robot again.  
"Look would you let go of me?" Jim asked irritated as he freed himself from the robot's grip.  
"Sorry! It's just I've been marooned here for the longest time... I mean, solitude's great and all but, say, after a hundred years, YA GO A LITTLE NUTS! Ha ha ha!" the robot explained. Kio raised an eyebrow. This robot was fascinating, but a little too much.  
"Heh... Okay, um... I am... My name is, uh..." the robot struggled hard to remember. Kio wandered away from the robot, out of fear that it would spaz again and yell.  
"B.E.N.! Of course! Ben! Bio Electronic Navigator! And you are?" B.E.N. asked.  
"Jim," he said, none-too-interested in continuing talking to the spastic robot, B.E.N. .  
"Ah what a pleasure t'meet ya Jimmy," B.E.N. said, shaking Jim's hand roughly.  
"It's Jim," he repeated himself, getting tired of B.E.N. all too quickly.  
"And who do we have here?" B.E.N. moved over to Kio.  
"Kio..." she said, backing up from B.E.N.  
"Nice to meet ya Kimmy!" B.E.N. made up a nickname for Kio as she continued further away from him, ignoring the handshake he offered, resulting in Kio obtaining another hug from B.E.N. She looked over at Jim, who was finding this amusing now, seeing Kio paralyzed from the hug she got, and glared somewhat, mumbling the words, 'Get him off me.' B.E.N. hopped off of Kio and went back over to Jim who was picking up the gun that he dropped.  
"So anyways," B.E.N. started, sitting on Jim, who pushed him off.  
"Look we really gotta get going; there's pirates around, so," Jim was starting to leave when B.E.N. leaped in front of him exclaiming,  
"Pirates! Don't get me started on pirates! – I don't like them!" Jim and Kio ignored B.E.N.  
"I remember – Captain Flint! This guy had such a temper!" B.E.N. went on, sitting on some sort of machinery.  
"Wait – you knew Captain Flint!?" Jim asked in disbelief, turning around and coming back over to B.E.N.  
"I think he suffered from mood-swings personally, I don't know I'm not a therapist – You let me know when I'm rambling!" B.E.N. continued on.  
"Wait, then, than that means – you know where the treasure is!" Jim pointed out.  
"Treasure...?" B.E.N. asked himself, more than Jim, really.  
"Yeah, the loot of a thousand worlds!"  
"It's all a li-little fuzzy..." B.E.N. began. "Wait! I r-r-remember. Treasure! Yeah – lots of treasure! Buried in the centroid, centroid, centroid of the mechanism! And Captain Flint wanted to make sure no one would ever find it! So I helped him – aiiigh – Inaccessible! Reboot, reboot, reboot!" B.E.N. was nearly out of control.  
"Ben!" Jim slapped him.  
"And you are?" the robot asked.  
"Wait, wait, wait! What about the treasure?" he asked, getting stressed out.  
"I wanna say, Larry," B.E.N. stated.  
"But, what about the centroid, of the mechanism?" Jim asked, getting frustrated with this robot.  
"I'm sorry. My memory isn't what it used to be. I've, lost my mind! Heh ha, I've LOST MY MIND!" B.E.N. cackled. "You haven't found it have you? My missing piece? My primary memory circuit?" the robot asked, pointing to the back of his head where a few loose wires stuck out.  
"Uh. Hey, B.E.N., we really need to find a place to hide, so we're just gonna be, y'know, moving along," Jim said, trying to ditch the robot. "C'mon, /Kimmy/," he said, making sure Kio was following. B.E.N. was left on the ground in sorrow.  
"Oh... Well, then, I guess this is good-bye... I understand. I'm just sorry I'm so... dysfunctional," he began to slowly roll away. Morph and Kio both were silently pleading Jim to let B.E.N. come along. Even if Kio saw him as somewhat frightening. Jim gave in to their requests.  
"Look, if you're gonna come along, you're going to have to stop talking," he said.  
"Huzzah!" B.E.N. yelled of victory and jumped into Jim's arms. "This is /fantastic! Just me and my buddies out looking for a... uhm...I'll stop talking." he pretended to zip his mouth shut.  
"And you're going to have to stop touching me," Jim ordered and set B.E.N. down.  
"Right-o! Touching and talking! What, like, heh, two big no-no's," the robot exclaimed.  
"Ok, then we best get going," Jim started to walk another way, but B.E.N. grabbed him.  
"Hey, mind if we make a quick pit stop at my place? Heh, kind of urgent..." B.E.N. said showing them a large building in the distance behind some plants.  
"B.E.N. I think you've just solved my problem."  
  
B.E.N. went about his 'house' tidying up the past with much effort, yet only getting a few things done. Doppler walked in carrying Amelia and laid her down with her head propped upon a rock.  
"Aww, I find old fashion romance so touching. Drinks for the happy couple?" he offered, shoving a tray with two pots of grotesque looking bubbling oil sitting in it.  
"Uh, no, no thank you. We don't drink. And we're not a couple..." Doppler said, receiving an odd, yet comforting look from Amelia.  
"Look at these markings... They're identical to the ones on the map," Doppler said, taking a look around, "Almost like some foreign ancient language."  
"Hey look it's some more of your buddies! Hey fellas! Were over here!" B.E.N. yelled and jumped about, dodging laser shots here and there until Jim pulled him away and shot at the pirates. Soon the shots stopped and Silver was spotted holding a white flag, asking to bargain for the map.  
"He thinks we still have it!" Jim stated out of excitement and left to greet Silver with hostility. Kio seated herself in the rim of the opening of B.E.N.'s 'house' armed with a gun she had borrowed from Delbert. Her ears were back in anger, watching Jim and Silver talk, but all her hate was pointed to the pirate captain. Kio's eyes narrowed as they went on, soon Silver spotted Kio, with the gun in her hands, pointed at the sky, obviously she was not the sweet young girl he had used to know. This pained him, as he was lying to the crew about having no soft spot for either Jim or the girl.  
Out of watching them continuously, Kio had begun to fret if Silver had tricked Jim, until the yells came.  
"That treasure is owed to me, by thunder!" Silver bellowed.  
"Well try to find it without /my/ map, by thunder!" Jim yelled at Silver, gaining an Irish accent. Both went back to their camps.  
Kio set aside the gun and went to Jim, asking what happened and such. He told her, but with little to no detail.  
  
Nightfall came quickly that day, Kio was leaning on the wall opposite from Jim, staring out the window, listening to Doppler and Amelia.  
"She's lost her mind!" Delbert exclaimed.  
"Well – you, you gotta help her!" Jim said.  
"Dangit Jim, I'm an astronomer, not a doctor! I mean I am a doctor, but I'm not that kind of doctor! I am a doctor, but the kind of doctor who just sits there and you're useless!" Doppler said, pressing his hands to his head in stress. Jim comforted him and then went back to his duty of guarding the entrance. He sighed and fell against the wall, defeated.  
"Without the map we're dead... If we try to leave were dead... If we stay here," Jim muttered, then was interrupted by Morph chorusing in joy that only one ignorant of their situation such as he could display -"We're dead! We're dead, we're dead, we're dead!" Jim sighed. Kio slumped to the ground with her head in her arms.  
"We won't make it out of here alive..." she mumbled, more to herself than others. One of the first times she had lost hope.  
"Well, I see we all could use some, quiet time, so I'll just slip out the back door," B.E.N. said.  
"Back door?" Jim asked, Kio slightly looked up from her knees.  
"Oh yes," B.E.N. said, grunting as he pushed open a door in the ground, which was a rotating sphere in one place, basically. "I get a delightful breeze through here, which I think is important, because ventilation, among friends –"Hardly anyone in the room was listening to B.E.N.'s ramblings.  
"What is all of this stuff?" Jim asked with much curiosity, coming over to the door, Kio slowly was following.  
"You mean the miles and miles of machinery that runs throughout the course of this entire planet? Not a clue!" B.E.N. said as they looked downwards into it all.  
"Hey doc, I think I may have found a way out of here!" Jim called out to Doppler.  
"No, Jim, the captain ordered us to stay here and-"he began to protest.  
"I'll be back!" Jim said and went in, legs first.  
"Cannon ball!" B.E.N. yelled and did one in after Jim. Kio inspected the place first, the she gathered up her courage and slipped in, legs first such as Jim, but a bit more carefully than the rest of them.  
"Woof," Doppler muttered in his frustration.  
  
Jim pushed open what seemed like a rusted bronze rock in the ground in the camp of the pirates, that was embedded with green vegetation. Kio poked her head out second, standing next to Jim and scanning the area.  
"So what's the plan!?" B.E.N. asked, rather loudly, interrupting any thoughts between Kio or Jim.  
"B.E.N., shhh!" Jim warned him. "Okay, the plan is that we sneak onto the Legacy, disable the laser cannons, grab the map and come back," he whispered harshly.  
"That's a good plan, I like that plan," B.E.N. muttered from the corner of his now muffled mouth. "But, how do we get up there?" he asked.  
"On that," Jim pointed out a boat behind the pirates.  
  
B.E.N. screamed somewhat loudly as he fell into the RLS Legacy after Kio and Jim pulled him into it.  
"Shh! B.E.N.!" Jim said harshly. "Okay, I'll go find the map. Kio, come with me, B.E.N. you stay here."  
"Right-o, Captain Jimmy, sir! Disabling laser cannons, sir!" B.E.N. went flying down the corners before anyone could stop him, singing 'yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me.'  
"Disable a few laser cannons, what if the big deal? I mean, all you have to do is find that one little wire –"B.E.N. opened up a 'closet' filling up the whole wall with a mix of yellow, red, blue, and white wires.  
"Oh mama."  
  
Jim had just found the map from a pile of ropes, and was relieved to have found it so quickly. Kio was glad too. Maybe they /would/ make it out of there alive. Until the alarms went off.  
"That stupid robot's gonna get us all – killed..." Jim said, stopping face to face with Mr. Scroop. "Cabin boy and girl..." he growled, flexing a claw and obtaining an insane look on his long face, happy to get the chance he'd been waiting for to finish them off. 


	5. Chapter 5 Doubts are gone

The disclaimer is still there. I only own Kio, and nothing else.  
  
Jim and Kio froze for about two seconds before bolting down the passageway. Jim knocked over some barrels as he ran, hoping to knock Scroop off track. Fruitless efforts really. Scroop was catching up quickly, and Morph was a first to notice. The shapeshifter shrieked, turning into a pie and thrusting himself into the hideous face of Scroop, whom pulled off Morph and flung him into a pipe exhaust. Morph had no time to react as he was sucked up into the pipe. Scroop went on. Jim threw himself into a space between walls, grabbing Kio in also (her reactions were blocked from fear) and readying the pistol he was armed with. Jim jumped out, face to face with Scroop, the gun pointed right at him when the lights went off.  
They flickered back on yet they revealed nothing; Scroop was gone. Jim scanned the area breathing quickly. Obviously Kio wasn't the only one who was quite frightened by the hideous bug-creature. Out of the shallow shadows above, Scroop uncoiled himself and leaned towards Jim. Oh if only Morph hadn't been there to ruin Scroop's efforts. Morph was thrown from a different exhaust pipe and up right close to Scroop's face. He shrieked again, this time changing into a large gloved hand, poking Scroop's eyes. The alien yelled out in pain. Morph was sucked into the pipe again. His cover was blown. Jim turned in time to have Scroop smack him down to the ground. He reached for his gun, but it was too far away, and before he would even have gotten the chance to grab the gun, Scroop jumped upon him, trapping him. Kio inwardly gasped. She couldn't bear it, just standing there, letting Scroop near to take out all of his anger upon her friend – she would have to do something, but what? Kio had an idea. She put herself in front of Scroop, behind Jim, and stuck out her tongue.  
"Nyah! Try and catch me, you despicable, wretched, disgusting pile of stupidity!" she taunted. Scroop was left speechless, trying to comprehend what was just spat at him. That blasted girl wouldn't live another second! He was just about to leave Jim when all of them began to rise off the ground. Obviously B.E.N. had pulled out another wrong wire. Jim kicked Scroop off of him, sending the alien crashing through the vent above them. Jim and Kio were also flying up through the vent. Scroop grabbed onto the main mast and saw them both floating by, trying to grab onto the mast as well. Scroop did he best to get to them first, but only smacked Jim into a spinning motion, both continuously rising.  
Jim grabbed onto the flag by an inch, Kio grabbing his free hand. He swung her against the flag and she grabbed on, scurrying down as quickly as she could in the weightless atmosphere. Then, she noticed Scroop coming towards Jim up the mast. He stopped and began to cut the rope holding up the flag with his claw. Kio launched herself at Scroop without a second thought. She had begun to float upwards, but had gasped Scroop's claw with her own claws. Scroop winced, then snarled. He smacked Kio's right cheek, where the scars were, resulting in blood trickling upwards from her face. However Kio did not let go of Scroop, her claws digging deeper. Scroop was fed up with this nuisance of a girl. He flexed his other claw and brought it to smash Kio's left hand (the one she was holding Scroop's with), forcing her to let go in a yelp of pain. Her hand maybe broken. She floated upwards again. Jim caught her.  
"No, let me go! You can't hold onto me now; Scroop is coming to kill you! Get off the flag!" she wailed to Jim, however he was ignoring her. He thrust Kio down onto the mast, she only held on with her right hand now, slightly dazed. "Do say hello to Mr. Arrow for me..." Scroop began. Suddenly the rope snapped and was beginning to float off, when it stopped. Kio had her legs wrapped about the mast, holding onto the flag's rope with her right hand, the other floating useless at her side. However, inch by inch, she was floating up. Kio was too light to continue there. Scroop scowled and snarled. He rushed up to them at an instant. Jim was outraged. "Tell him yourself!" he climbed from the flag, jumped at the last instant, and kicked Scroop into the flag. Kio let go once the flag was filled with Mr. Scroop. She was pretty much sitting on top of the mast, so she quickly rammed her claws of her right hand into the wood, to keep herself from floating off. Scroop ripped open the flag and looked down to see Kio and Jim hanging onto the mast in almost the same position at different angles, slight fear in their eyes. Scroop's last screams echoed through the etherium for a moment or two, then there was silence. The gravity suddenly came back on. Kio and Jim fell into the crows nest none-too-gently. Morph was suddenly spewn through the exhaust pipe that was resting up in the crow's nest, all covered in soot and coughing. "Morph?" Jim asked quietly, Morph copying a purr of a bird's. Kio groaned something, rubbing her left hand and wiping off the new blood from her face. "Kio, what happened?" Jim asked, noticing how she was straining herself not to whimper of her pounding hand. "I'm not sure – Scroop just hit my hand and now it hurts a lot. But I'm fine," she muttered. "Laser cannons disconnected, Captain Jimmy, sir!" B.E.N. said, out on the deck covered in a mess of wires, "Gee, that wasn't so tough." Jim ignored B.E.N. and studied the map once more, feeling slightly awkward. Now he knew for sure that he was the real cause of a person's death.  
  
They arrived through the door in B.E.N.'s house again. "Doc, doc wake up! I've got the map!" Jim said, reaching out to a sleeping figure in the darkness. The figure turned out to be none other than, Silver. His robotic hand grabbed the map from Jim, whom was taken aback in startle, Kio also. "Fine work, Jimbo. Fine work indeed..." the cyborg taunted him. Jim looked around the room. There were pirates everywhere. Amelia and Doppler were tied up. The pirates began to enclose Jim and Kio in a circle. "Thanks for showin' us the way, boy!" someone unrecognizable said. The pirates swarmed Jim first, grabbing him so he wouldn't get away. Morph latched teeth onto one's tail, then was hit with the same tail. In fear, startle, and confusion Morph flew into Jim's pocket whimpering. Next the pirates grabbed Kio the same way they grabbed Jim, but with much less effort. "What's this sorry stick of metal?" a little pirate woman asked, grabbing B.E.N. and threatened him. "Not the face!" he wailed. Silver walked over to Jim. "You're just like me, lad. You hates t'lose," he mocked Jim. Silver began to try and unlocked the map, but got no where but enraged. He noticed Jim amused by it all and shaking his head in humored pity. "Open it!" Silver shoved it into Jim's hands. He refused silently. Silver loaded a gun. "I'd get busy," he said. Jim looked over to Doppler, Amelia, and Kio for help. Amelia shook her head, Doppler nodded, and Kio simply gave him a look as if to say 'why are you looking at me for? I wouldn't know what to do either!' Jim reluctantly opened up the map. The pirates were amazed as it led them with a blinking light and green trail. "Tie 'em up!" Silver ordered sternly. The path went away. "You want the map? You're taking me too," Jim said angrily. Silver was getting aggravated, then stopped. "We'll take 'em all!"  
  
The skiff flew off, chasing the trail of green that the map showed, everyone loaded onto the skiff. They stopped, leaving Amelia and Doppler behind. "We're getting' close lads! I smell Treasure awaitin'!" Silver cheered, grabbing Jim's shirt and pulling him along, the other aliens were pushing Kio to follow. Silver cut through large, bamboo looking objects uprooting from the ground, but was left speechless as he saw... nothing. The light was blinking at one place only. A cliff. "What's goin' on Jimbo?" Silver asked angrily as the lights went away. "I don't know. I- I can't get it open!" Jim said, struggling to open the map once again. "We shoul'da never followed this /boy/!" the little alien hollered, knocking Jim to the ground. Jim noticed odd markings in the ground, including a hole that looked like an 'inverted' map. He cleared off the vegetation and stuck in the map. A virtual map rose from the ground, green lights flowing from the scene. Jim stood up and was about to touch it, when all from the ground below the cliffs, lights emitted and burst through the ground, creating a big door showing way to the most beautiful sight so far. Kio gazed with wonder. "The Lagoon Nebula?" Jim asked, slightly dazed. "But that's... halfway 'cross the galaxy..." Silver mention thoughtfully, placing his hand on his chin. "A big door... Opening and closing..." Jim mumbled. "Hm.. Cainapus... Montressor Spaceport." Jim pressed a little crescent moon on the map. The door opened to reveal the Spaceport. "So that's how Flint did it," Jim said with amazement. "He would use this portal to go around the galaxy, stealing treasure." But where'd he stash it all!?" Silver asked, grabbing Jim's shirt and tossing him tot he side, infuriated. "Just... Open the right door," he said and clicked a little planet on the map that was shaped like Treasure Planet. It resulted in showing to a place filled with nothing but treasure. They slowly walked in to the portal in silence and awe, gazing at the miles of gold being held together with lasers revolving about the pirates ran to the treasure, cheering and waving their arms in the air, celebrating for their newly found wealth. "We're going to need a bigger boat!" Mr. Onus's shrill voice echoed throughout the inside of the planet. Silver left Jim, Kio, B.E.N., and Morph alone to go take his portion of gold. Jim tapped Kio and B.E.N. as he began to walk off. "C'mon, B.E.N., Kio, we're getting out of here and we're not leaving empty handed," he said, walking down a gold pile and heading towards a ship, Kio and the robot following him. Jim jumped aboard the ship, Kio doing the same, yet they had to help pull B.E.N. up the side and into the ship. He landed with a gasp, Jim and Kio letting go, turning to face a skeleton sitting upon a throne covered of gold. Kio backed up (obviously skeletons were not her favorite thing to stare at) and as she did so she tripped and fell overboard. "Captain Flint! In the flesh! Well, except for skin, organs, or anything that resembles flesh, that's not there..." B.E.N. rambled on, Kio finding her way back onto deck and staying there, this time not so hysterical. Jim approached Flint with caution, examining the bones. Suddenly he spotted something clenched in Flint's hand, which he ripped out, tearing off a few fingers shamelessly. "B.E.N., I think I've just found your mind!" Jim said, placing a hand on the robot's shoulder to keep him still as he tried to find where the object went. "Ah! Jimmy! Your hands, are very cold!" B.E.N. began, but suddenly stopped as the wires in the back of his head nearly grabbed the machinery part that Jim was holding as if it were a magnet. The robot spazzed for a moment. "Woah! Hello!" B.E.N. said, surprised. His eyes had changed from a light green, to a softer blue. He put his hand to his a chin a moment. "Y'know, Jimmy, I was just thinking... I was just-! It's all coming back! All my memories! Right up until Flint pulled my memory circuit so I could never tell anyone about his BOOBY-TRAP!" B.E.N. exclaimed. The planet began to shake. "Speaking of which..." Explosions erupted within the cores of the planet. "Flint wanted to make sure that no one could ever steal his treasure, so he rigged this place to blow, higher than a kalypsian kite!" B.E.N. explained hysterically as the whole place began to come un-done. Lasers were firing everywhere, destroying the treasure. "Jimmy! Kimmy! Run for your lives!" B.E.N. yelled. Jim didn't stray. "You two go back and help the Captain and Doc. If I'm not there in five minutes, leave without me!" Jim said, ducking under controls of the ship. "I am not leaving my buddy, Jimmy!" B.E.N. pulled Jim out from under the space. He glared, holding two electric wires that were sparking. "Unless, he looks at me, like that... Bye Jim!" B.E.N. took off. Kio stood firm. She was not going to leave without Jim. "Kio, what're you doing? Go back with B.E.N. – it's not safe here!" Jim exclaimed to Kio. She didn't move. "Augh, whatever! I don't have time for this!" Jim said and went to finish running the ship. Silver noticed this and took his chance to save his skin. "Yes! Kio, Morph! We are so outta here!" Jim cheered, taking the steering wheel, Kio standing by him looking thoughtfully. She was half-way smiling, but hardly paying attention to what was going on. More, she was noticing how noble Jim's actions were.  
  
"Jimbo! Aren't ye the seventh wonder of the universe?" Silver hopped on deck, grinning in merriment. It was not going to last. Jim grabbed a sword laying on deck and thrust it in front of Silver, ready to strike him. "Get back!" Jim warned yelling at him. Silver looked enraged. "I like ye, lad. But I've come too far to lose all of this..." he said walking closer to Jim, who in return backed up until he was against the steering wheel. Kio was backed up too, not as much scared as she was angry. "Silver! Get away from us! This is all Jim's treasure! He deserves it all and you don't deserve one drubloon!" she cried at him hysterically. "I beg to differ," the cyborg muttered. Suddenly the ship was blasted by a laser, sending them flying from it all. Silver managed to grab onto the ship, however Jim and Kio were slipping down the slanted metal platform. Jim hit against a wall, falling down until he grabbed onto a foothold that was slipping into the construction. Below him lay a raging fiery death. Kio had managed to stay of the slanted platform though, just barely. Morph flew over Silver and warned him of Jim's danger. "Jimbo!" he muttered obviously torn. He let a looser grip on the ship, but pulled it in closer stretching his arm out to Jim. Kio pushed Silver's arm out of the way, her eyes full of hate. Kio leaned over the side and offered her hand to Jim. "I can't reach!" Jim cried out just as he slipped down lower and luckily grabbed onto a smaller foothold, that slipping in quicker. Kio panicked. She couldn't reach him! But she had to try! Kio did so, resulting in herself slipping and falling. She was hanging off the edge of a closing foothold above Jim with only her right hand, the left being broken. She was so upset, but too scared to even cry out. Silver now was diffidently torn. The treasure? Or Kio and Jim? "Oh, blast me for a fool!" Silver yelled at himself, let go of the ship and pulled Jim off of the closing hold. Kio fell quickly after that, but Jim caught her. Silver swung them on the platform. The pirate was going to grab Kio with his other arm, but she had fallen too quickly for him to react. "Kio, don'cha know ye can trust me by now?" Silver asked her sympathetically and somewhat smiling. She shook her head slowly, faced him and smiled. "Thank you," Kio said weakly, feeling awfully guilty. Suddenly they all looked up to the ship, it being blasted by the laser, spewing gold everywhere. The three leaped through the portal. "You gave up?" Jim asked Silver, slightly relieved that he did, yet astounded. "Just a life-long obsession, Jim. I'll get over it," Silver humored himself. The RLS Legacy dropped from the sky with B.E.N. shouting at them. "Hurry people! We've got exactly two minutes and thirty four seconds until planet's destruction!" Jim, Kio, Silver, and Morph clambered on aboard the Legacy right as it was leaving. "Take us out of here, metal man!" Captain Amelia called out to B.E.N. . "Aye aye!" he said. "Cap'in! Ye dropped out of the heavens in the nick of ti-"Silver began. "Save your clap-trap for the judge, Silver," Amelia warned sternly. Silver laughed to himself, but the laugh turned to one of anxiety. A sudden blast of rock went through the main solar sail of the ship, blasting down a hunk of wood smashing a burner. "Mission failed to mobilize, Captain! Burners at only 30 %!" B.E.N. said. "30%? But that means... We'll never clear the planet's explosion in time..." Doppler said, devastated. Kio looked up, devastated as well. No... They had come too far to lose it all! Jim looked back to the portal. "We gotta turn around!" he said. "What!?" Amelia asked him in disbelief. "There's a portal back there!" He explained. "Excuse me Jim, but didn't that portal lead into a raging inferno?" Doppler asked him. "Yes!" Jim grabbed a metal piece that resembled a long triangle, "But I'm gonna change all that! I'm gonna open a different door!" he went on. "Captain, I just really don't see how this would-"Doppler began, but was interrupted by Silver. "Listen to the boy!" the pirate ordered. Jim was trying to attach the metal piece onto a revolving piece that seemed to fit for a machine gun. "What do you need, Jim?" Silver asked. Jim replied. Silver told him to stand back as he lit a burner with his hand and attached them. He helped him lift it up. Kio ran over to them as Jim was getting ready to leave. "No matter what happens, keep this ship heading straight for that portal!" Jim ordered. Kio clasped her hands together and held them by the base of her neck. She stared up at Jim, tears welting up in her blueish eyes. Jim stared back at her a moment, sympathy growing for her – she was really worried about him. Kio knew Jim was a good person, but she could hardly believe that he was risking his life to save them. Maybe it was even a suicidal act of goodness. The second time Kio lost faith. Doubtful although, a smile spread on Kio's face. "58 seconds!" B.E.N. yelled. Jim had to leave now. "Good luck!" She called for him. Jim took off. She was almost sure something would go horribly wrong. Silver also felt pity for her – although he knew Jim would come back. But it was obvious that this girl kept Jim very close to her heart. "Well you heard him! Turn this blasted heap around!" Silver demanded. "Turn on around, Doctor," Captain Amelia took charge of /her/ ship. "Aye, Captain," Delbert did as he was ordered. Jim was off. Dodging the flying machinery, grinding where it was needed, all the sorts. Kio was watching him as much as she could, praying to God that he would live. Suddenly as Jim was flying over long arch of lava, the burner on the board began to die down. He dropped. Yet continuous clicking didn't help at all. Kio didn't see any of this, but the horrid feeling that something was going to go bad was there strong. Jim rammed the back burners of the board to the wall, letting it emit sparks. He kept stepping on the burners, hearing it click, but nothing happening. It was over. The fire came – inside the burners. The last click did it! Jim was off again! He rose and continued riding. "Seven, six, five!" B.E.N. began. Jim was riding the board as fast as he could. Then he saw the map. "Four three two!" He flew into it, and maybe it was dumb luck or maybe something higher, but Jim pressed the little crescent moon shape on the map.  
  
Near the Spaceport it was quiet. The galaxy was at peace and harmonized with nothing else but the calmness of a morning's steady flow. But, what's this? A portal tore its way right up near the port in an array of fiery explosions and a ship flying on by. What a perfect way to start the day. Silver ran across the deck in whatever which way Jim was flying on by. "Didn't I say the lad had greatness in him?" Silver asked enthusiastically with joy. Doppler and Amelia ran and hugged each other. Then they suddenly noticed what they were doing in startle. Oh it didn't matter. Jim landed on deck, his board flying off the side of the ship. As soon as he could regain his balance he was hugged by Kio. So happy to see him. She smiled and cried tears of joy, soon letting go. There were no words left to be said of her. Jim was somewhat startled that Kio had hugged him anyways, but he was no where near disgusted. After that he was attacked by Morph, undergoing many terrorizing licks of the shadeshifter in affection. Amelia and Doppler came over to him. "Unorthodox, but affective. I may recommend you to the interstellar academy. They could use a man like you," Amelia said. "Just wait until your mother hears about this! Of course, we may downplay the life-threatening parts," Delbert said. Jim was listening, but he just noticed that Silver was gone. Apparently Kio had noticed that the cyborg was no where in sight either, as she was scanning the deck also.  
  
"C'mon Morphy, we gotta make tracks!" Silver said, untying a lifeboat. "You never quit, do you?" Jim asked, startling the old cyborg. "Ah, uh, Jimbo! Just makin' sure our last lifeboat was safe and secure," he lied. Jim walked over to him, Kio following him. Jim re-tied the knot. "There. That should hold it," he said. Silver laughed weakly. "Heh, I taught ye all too well..." he said. There was a silence drifting between them. "Y'know, Morph here... He's a free spirit. Put in a cage... It would break his heart," Silver said, really trying to say 'Oh please let me go, I don't want to go to jail!' Jim thought about this for a moment, but hardly thinking at all. Silver was getting away no matter what. He walked off a bit, pulled a lever so the door below the skiff opened. Then Jim walked back and untied the boat. "Hey, why don't ya ship out with us?" Silver asked both of the cabin ranked. Morph repeated him and changed into a hat, landing on Jim's head. "Hawkins, Silver, and... uhm... Kio! Full of ourselves and no ties to anyone!" (He hesitated because he didn't know Kio's last name, supposing that she even has one) "Y'know... When I got on this boat, I would have taken you up on that in a second. But, I met this old cyborg who taught me I could, chart my course, and do my own thing," he said, Morph back into his pink form once again. Silver turned to Kio, knowing that she would say no too, but just to see. Kio smiled sympathetically. "I would, but y'know, Jim made a promise to me," she said, Jim looking up as to say 'no I didn't' Kio laughed quietly to herself. "He promised me a solar surfing lesson, and I just can't back down." She said, half-way joking. They stood in silence, each with a warmed smile and tears in their eyes. "Got a little grease in this cyborg eye of mine," Silver coughed, turning away to wipe away tears. Kio and Jim also did the same. Morph erupted into tears, changing himself into a puddle which Jim caught. "Hey Morph, I'll see ya around..." Jim said. "See ya around," Morph mimicked, licking Jim again and moving to Kio to do the same. Silver sighed, he held Morph close. "Morph. I got a job for ya. I need you to watch, these here pups," he said through tears. Morph flew over to Jim in an instant. Silver hopped aboard the boat. "Oh, and one more thing," Silver said, tossing Jim a few coins. It's for your dear mother. For her to rebuild that Inn of her's," Silver winked. "Stay out of trouble, ya old scallywag," Jim said. "Jimbo, lad! When have I ever done otherwise?" Silver left laughing. It was a bittersweet moment. Kio and Jim returned to deck.  
  
The ship docked and they unloaded. Kio and Jim were walking side by side, looking for Mrs. Hawkins. Soon spotted, Jim ran up to hug his mother. Kio stepped to the side of them, letting them rejoice, Morph coming between them.  
  
The night of the Inn's reopening after it was built way beyond greatness of the last one there was a party thrown. Kio was dressed up in a pale, somewhat fluffy dress of light shades of minty green, her hair slightly longer, she was wearing it up in somewhat of a bun, yet with her hair falling out of it at the top and falling over to the side. She was working at the Benbow now, a waitress and a cook in training. Kio had caught on to cooking right away and also with herb mixtures. The scars on her face were still there, but they were hardly red anymore. Just the slightest tint was red within them. Kio's hair was still blonde, yet she had added a mint green streak going down one of her long bangs off the side to the left of her face. That mint green hued part of her hair was dyed that way and curled slightly. Kio had grown taller since then, but still shorter than Jim. Now she was busily going about the Inn serving drinks and such. B.E.N. had busted out from the kitchen holding several cake slices and passing them onto guests. Morph was flying about to and fro, soon coming upon Amelia and Doppler, whom were blessed with four beautiful children. Three little felinid girls like Amelia, and one adorable little boy of Doppler's species. Suddenly the door to the Inn swung open. Two robotic police were standing at the door. Everyone was silent until they made way for Jim, whom was all fancied up in a graduating uniform of the Interstellar Spacer Academy. Everyone at the Inn cheered for Jim. Mrs. Dunwoody began playing an Irish jig for them all to dance to, the guests hanging a row of flowers above heads. Kio and Jim danced down the row first happily. Second Doppler and Amelia danced, more dramatic with spinning involved. No place was happier in the galaxy than the Benbow that night. Jim slowly turned to the window to admire the outside view. First he saw Kio sitting outside on a pole near the docks, gazing out into the stars and clouds as she had always loved to do. Then Jim turned his gaze a formation in the sky to a cloud shaped like Long John Silver. He couldn't help but smile, reminiscing of the past and wondering if that's what, still best friend, Kio was gazing at happily too, remembering their adventure to Treasure Planet. Jim also remembered what Kio had said that one night, about all of his good qualities. Well, he could certainly see them now, but he still had to wonder if he would be where he was thinking the same thing today without her. Also wondering if he would actually be Captain James Hawkins without Silver's help too. Kio still had something to make of herself though.  
  
(for the fangirls who are wondering – Kio used to love Jim and now they're just good friends. Nothing else, so don't kill me. hides) 


	6. Chapter 6 A promise kept

The disclaimer is always there. I own nothing but Kio. The lyrics aren't mine either. They belong to John Rzeznik along with the whole song in any case.  
  
"I know how you can repay me," Kio called to Jim before he was completely below deck, "Take me solar surfing sometime!"  
  
--  
  
It's good to see the sun and know this place, This place I never thought would feel like home, And I ran forever, far away, I, never thought I'd end here alone.  
  
A solar surfboard whizzed by , off the docks and into the air. Kio was standing in front, gripping the sail's railing across as tightly as she could with both hands, the left one was bandaged up though. Jim was standing behind her, steadying the surfboard and choosing its directions. Kio was looking somewhat frightened, but still enjoying the ride. Jim smirked as the board shot off into the air, flying above the town.  
  
Somehow the world has changed, Since I've come home, To give you back the things they took from you, And I feel you now, I'll always know where you are.  
  
Kio was amazed at the sights below them and particularly riding upon this contraption. Jim had built a new one after they had come back and begun rebuilding the Inn. Mrs. Hawkins had even promised Kio a job there when they finished it, if she had wanted it – which she did very much so. Jim sent the board down a little bit to fly within the town. Most adult bystanders would shake their fists at the reckless young kids, flying through the town with no regards for anyone else (as they had said), while little children would turn the heads up in awe watching them fly over head, then turn to their parents and beg them to buy them a surfboard of their own.  
  
And when I see myself I'll always know where you are, Where you are...  
  
Jim drove the board out of the town and turned to within the canyon, but first he took it up to the clouds to fly through, seeing as he knew Kio was fascinated by clouds for some odd, unknown reason. They went into one, tearing through it. Kio grinned and held out a hand a little ways as to feel the cool slip through her fingers. Discovering that clouds were basically nothing was a little disappointing, however it wasn't about to bring Kio down. They burst from the cloud out into the open blue sky. Jim had decided against trying to do tricks again; Kio would probably fall off, and that would kind of suck. So instead he continued flying through clouds, until dropping from the sky and into the canyon, flying above ground and just barely dodging the everlasting rocks and dividers of the canyon.  
  
And I've found something that was always there, Sometimes it's gotta hurt before you feel, Now I'm strong and I won't kneel, Except to thank who's watching over me.  
  
The construction site was still there, but reluctantly Jim didn't go into it. Remembering the words of the robotic cops about a one way ticket to Juvenile Hall. He turned the board around and went on flying, this time pulling away from the ground and back into the sky. Figuring that it was about time to head back without getting into too much trouble, they began to fly back through the town, flying over it although and not through it. Jim and Kio were both obliged to help out Mrs. Hawkins rebuild the Benbow, along with Doppler and Amelia, so they had to sneak out from Delbert's house to go flying. So they returned and would fly another day.  
  
Somehow I feel so strong and I've begun to, Be the one I never though I'd be, And I feel you now, I'm not alone, I'll always know where you are, And when I see myself I'll always know where you are.  
  
Now it's all so clear when I believe everything's been opened up to me. And I feel you now, I'm not alone, I'll always know where you are, And when I see myself I'll always know where you are, And when I feel the sun, I'll always know where you are, And when I see myself, I'll always know where you are, Where you are...  
  
(this is technically the end of 'You see the things they never see' but I'm still going to write on from this story in different ones. X3) 


End file.
